Hmmmm.....I didn't think about using camlocks or NPT stuff....I might even have parts to do that. I have a 1/2" barb, a Type A post, and a nipple.
What makes it a "close" nipple? Short? Or something else?
Boil kettle condenser - no overhead ventilation needed
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Hmmmm.....I didn't think about using camlocks or NPT stuff....I might even have parts to do that. I have a 1/2" barb, a Type A post, and a nipple.
What makes it a "close" nipple? Short? Or something else?
Yes, a "close" nipple is one that is about as short as possible, while still keeping the threaded sections at the minimum required length.
Brew on
Right, the unthreaded portion is very small if non-existent so it can be used through thin material.
Like a sink facade...
Cheers!
Like a sink facade...
Cheers!
OK, @day_trippr and @doug293cz , here's what I ended up doing after your responses and ideas.
I realized with my setup that it would be difficult to get a camlock on and off a fixed connection. The place for the line to go through the front facade of the sink has to be all the way to the left, to clear the sink bowl, and in that location, I wouldn't be able to close the camlock wings.
So I checked my parts box and found I had a rubber grommet that is exactly the right size for that 1/2" ID silicone tubing. I drilled a hole with a step-bit, added the grommet, then put a male camlock connector on the silicone tubing. Fed it through and sent it down the PVC pipe coming up from the trap, and connected the other side to the steam slayer.
It works. I have the double-elbow on there to raise the height so as to have enough elevation drop to avoid any pooling of the water. As said by either @Bobby_M or @BrunDog if the line terminates in water or fills with water, it won't work. The other advantage is that last time I used this, I had a boilup of hops, and that went out the port and into the water bucket. This should prevent that, at least to some extent.
I ran the system this afternoon with a few gallons of boiling water. Here's a short you-tube video showing it working and taking the lid off showing the steam.
Also some pics showing how it works. I wanted something that wouldn't require me to monitor a bucket full of water, but if I add a short piece of silicone tubing with male camlock to what comes off the steam slayer, I can drop that tubing into a bucket to reuse for cleaning.
I realized with my setup that it would be difficult to get a camlock on and off a fixed connection. The place for the line to go through the front facade of the sink has to be all the way to the left, to clear the sink bowl, and in that location, I wouldn't be able to close the camlock wings.
So I checked my parts box and found I had a rubber grommet that is exactly the right size for that 1/2" ID silicone tubing. I drilled a hole with a step-bit, added the grommet, then put a male camlock connector on the silicone tubing. Fed it through and sent it down the PVC pipe coming up from the trap, and connected the other side to the steam slayer.
It works. I have the double-elbow on there to raise the height so as to have enough elevation drop to avoid any pooling of the water. As said by either @Bobby_M or @BrunDog if the line terminates in water or fills with water, it won't work. The other advantage is that last time I used this, I had a boilup of hops, and that went out the port and into the water bucket. This should prevent that, at least to some extent.
I ran the system this afternoon with a few gallons of boiling water. Here's a short you-tube video showing it working and taking the lid off showing the steam.
Also some pics showing how it works. I wanted something that wouldn't require me to monitor a bucket full of water, but if I add a short piece of silicone tubing with male camlock to what comes off the steam slayer, I can drop that tubing into a bucket to reuse for cleaning.
Nicely finessed, I like it
specialkayme
Well-Known Member
For what little value this probably adds, I built an eBIAB system a few weeks ago only to have my kitchen filled with steam. I picked up a Steamslayer and brewed this past weekend, with ZERO steam in the house.
I wasn't able to dial back the heat as much as others on here have mentioned. Without the condenser my 5500W heating element had to be dialed back to about 65% power to get a really good boil going. With the condenser I dropped it to about 50%. But still good power savings. My water run off gave some "cooked corn" smell, but I wouldn't call it strong.
Overall it worked like a charm! Thanks @BrunDog for the invention, and everyone else who tried it out along the way!
I wasn't able to dial back the heat as much as others on here have mentioned. Without the condenser my 5500W heating element had to be dialed back to about 65% power to get a really good boil going. With the condenser I dropped it to about 50%. But still good power savings. My water run off gave some "cooked corn" smell, but I wouldn't call it strong.
Overall it worked like a charm! Thanks @BrunDog for the invention, and everyone else who tried it out along the way!
OP
OP
Awesome!
I really wish I had found this thread a few days earlier! I just ordered a 20g kettle from Spike for my new electric setup that is getting delivered tomorrow. I really don't want to have to send my new kettle back to have a TC added but I like this solution a lot more than installing a vent hood.
Wizard_of_Frobozz
Well-Known Member
Bobby sells a fitting for you: https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/tc15wlf.htm
Not as elegant as a Spike welded fitting, but it gets the job done! He has solder fittings as well if you don't want weldless. Many ways to get the job done for a lot less than shipping the kettle back to Spike.
Yes, I was considering this. I'm just not sure if I want to start drilling holes in my brand new kettle. I spent the extra money so that I would have nice properly welded ports... I don't think I can bring myself to drill a hole in it so soon.
Anyone putting these on the lids? I might be able to convince myself to do that.
cas3439
Well-Known Member
mirage887
Member
I have a 20 gal spike with a weldless bulkhead in the lid. Works perfect.
ancientmariner52
Well-Known Member
Mine is on the lid. Used a 90° elbow and a weldless TC fitting. There's pictures here somewhere. The best part is that you don't have to wonder how to clock the thing, just rotate the lid to the best position.
Your trepidation about not wanting to drill your brand new kettle is perfectly understandable, especially knowing that you could have had that port added if you knew a few days sooner. However, I added Bobby's weldless TC port to my 20G Spike and have no complaints except it just doesn't have as much bling as a weldless port up there (above the liquid level)
Damn, that is some nice bargain hood for $35. I had searched for over a year for a similar bargain before Brundog showed me the light.
cas3439
Well-Known Member
Thanks, it was just a Craigslist sale. Of course when I told SWMBO what kind of bargain it was, she just rolled her eyes! I imagined the ceiling tiles soaking up a ton of moisture like a sponge, so I figured it wouldn't hurt to also have the fan. I actually tiled the ceiling around the hood as backup.
ingchr1
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Yes, link to my build thread: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/...11-gallon-bayou-classic-with-boilcoil.643196/
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ancientmariner52
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I asked my daughter to stitch up an insulated wrapper for my boil kettle. I couldn't find black quilted fabric to match the HLT, so I bought white. This is what she presented to me just now.
ancientmariner52
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Ok, here it is with the lace removed.
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How well do you think it will insulate?
so now we have a TC port in the lid, can anyone see why we couldnt use this to mount a Whirlpool/return line to the BK? So flame out remove Steam Slayer and mount a return fitting. I would use this for re-circulation through the CFC to bk for a few minutes to sterilize.
ancientmariner52
Well-Known Member
Probably not as good as reflectix (sp?) or similar materials. Since my concerns were more avoiding contact burns and being machine washable than thermal performance, I believe it will serve.
What I really wanted was wooden slats and brass bands like an 1830s locomotive boiler, but I'm much too lazy to actually build it.
Once I actually brew with this rig I'll report back. I intend to set the HLT and kettle on pieces of blue foam insulation board. I don't THINK it will quite melt. I'll let you know.
Additional: forgot to mention, we used three layers of the pre-quilted fabric.
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ancientmariner52
Well-Known Member
Sounds practical to me. If suitable fittings aren't available off the shelf, it wouldn't be too difficult to drill a TC blank to fit a 1/2 NPT weldless bullhead fitting. Probably a dozen better ways, just have to think about it.
I'd bet the other way, that it's better than reflectix, at least a single layer of reflectix. I have a layer of reflectix around my kettle mash tun, and while it certainly helps, if I were to choose, I'd choose yours.
ancientmariner52
Well-Known Member
You may well be right. I used some relectix and duct tape on a Charlie Papazian-style mash tun years ago. It worked well enough, but to be honest I just hated the appearance of it. Kind of ragged and unfinished looking, I suppose.
d3track
Are you sure about that?
rkhanso
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Gotta keep that lace on there. That is classic!!!
ingchr1
Well-Known Member
This is one of the times this site really shines. I have a locline manifold as well, and had it connected to a 1/2" NPT nipple on the inside of my kettle; after seeing how you used camlocks on yours, I realized I could do the same, utilizing a couple spare parts I had lying around.
Before I had to thread it on and off. Now, easy to connect, easy to remove.
It will definitely perform much better if he keeps the lace on.
That really is very cool. I have lockline on order and will try this out when it arrives
What are you guys using for containing your hops during the boil, while using a lid on your BK? I currently use a hop spider from Utah Biodiesel, and it hangs on the side of the BK during the boil. This idea really intrigues me. And, I wouldn't have to drill a large hole to the outside for my vent hood.
Thanks
Thanks
I'm just tossing them in. I'm going to do some long-term testing of Yakima Valley hop shots, which don't have any hop trub. I did hops in a bag, hops in a spider, hops in a screened cylinder that hangs off the side--and I was never happy with the utilization I got them them.
Once I get the Hop Shot thing dialed in, assuming I do, then most of the late addition hops will end up in a hop cone after whirlpooling.
I'm not sure you can really hang anything off the side of the kettle and get a good enough "seal" for the steam catcher to work--though in fairness, I haven't actually tried that. I always assumed it wouldn't work properly. Maybe I should give it a try.
You're suspicion is on point - I had a spider with the thin over-hanging straps and steam would definitely emit through the resulting lid gap.
An experiment in setting the spider on the kettle floor resulted in a matching scorch ("Don't Do That") so that's out.
Years ago I had high hopes for the original Hop Stopper that were fairly dashed on the first outing. I wonder if the latest incarnation is much better...
Cheers!
I'm with mongoose33; I no longer put my boil or WP hops in anything. However, somewhere way back in this thread someone discussed mounting magnets to their hop spider to hold it to the side. Just search 'magnets' in this thread.
That looks...interesting....but I can't see how it would work in a kettle with an electric heating element. Like so:
Am I missing something with how it's used?
Sure, you just use something like this https://www.norcalbrewingsolutions.com/store/1.5-Inch-Tri-Clover-x-4-Inch-NPT-Nipple-Connect.html
mount your whirlpool arm on the inside and a quick disconnect of choice on the outside.
rkhanso
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The last time I brewed (an oatmeal stout - so not hoppy at all), I put the hops in a fine mesh bag and let the opening of the bag hang over the top of the kettle. I flattened out the bag as much as I could and put the cover on the kettle to hold the bag in place. It sealed just OK, not perfect. I suppose I could have tied off the end of the mesh bag and just thrown it in the kettle when boiling and probably not seen any difference.
In the future, I may make or buy a hop spider/basket and modify it to be held with a magnet outside the kettle. Or, just continue to use the mesh bag, but tied off and thrown in - that would be much easier, and likely no difference in effectiveness or final result.
I do like keeping the hop sludge out of the process during and after boiling.
I absolutely love this idea and am glad that I stumbled upon it before buying a vent hood and fan for my garage brewery.
I'm not sure if this has been asked already (since we're at 23 pages so far and I don't have time to read them all at the moment), but why can't we achieve the same thing with a large coil of copper tubing, like an old immersion chiller, which is sitting on top of a box fan or some other air powered cooling source?
I'm not sure if this has been asked already (since we're at 23 pages so far and I don't have time to read them all at the moment), but why can't we achieve the same thing with a large coil of copper tubing, like an old immersion chiller, which is sitting on top of a box fan or some other air powered cooling source?
I was honestly not too happy with the hop utilization from the nylon mesh basket I first used, then I went to a hop spider thinking the extra space would be nice, then now finally to the SS Mesh Hop spider....I'm still not too happy with it. So, I have been considering going to one of the BIAB baskets Utah Biodiesel sells. Then, the hops could do whatever they wanted during the boil. My other thought was doing a whirlpool, during flame out since I'm planning to get a pump.
I would be much more happy to deal with hop trub, then having to cut in hole in my perfectly good wall(with brand new exterior siding) for a vent.
Plus, I live in a somewhat rural community, and the more holes in my exterior, the more likely I find intruders.Similar threads
